Smyrna times., 1887-09-14
WHOLE NO. l,677.
DOM PEDRO In PARIS.
AN AMERICAN CORRESPONDENTS
INTERVIEW WITH AN EMPEROR.

The Amiable Ruler OF Brazil Still Pur-
suing knowledge and Making Friends
Everywhere - Kindly RecOlIectiOns Of
Our Centennial Exhibition.
1 nudged some one in the back and
asked which was Dom Pedro. The indi-
vidual thus accosted turned to me with a
glance Of astonishment and indicated a
tall, broad shOuldered man, a little on the
plan of Abraham Lincoln. proceeded to
study that man. His hair was silver
white, as we'll as his long full beard, and
he was dressed very simply in black, with
out the slightest mark to distinguish him
from any one else. He received standing,
and the order Of business appeared to be
to kiss the back of his hand, say few
words and back off. l moved along slowly
with the others, waiting my turn, and
meantime turned my attention to the en-
press.
have heard since then that the empe-
rOr got sadly taken in Iwhen he selected
her for his better half, and I believe it.
They say that she was q NeapOlitan prin-
cess and that he married her by proxy on
the strength of a beautiful photograph
which had been sent him, and Of course
! when she arrived in Brazil and he found
| after the ceremony that she was not only
not beautiful but lame it was too late to
! do anything. Theresa Christiana Maria
is a sort of triangular woman, i. e., she
begins at the bottom with very broad
flowing skirts and tapers upwards to a
small pointed head, surmOunted by u little
black cap, which is prOfusely decorated
with roses in pink, yellow and red.
| decided to devote myself to the en-
perOr, who was now quite close to me.
nudged the man ahead of me again, and
he did not appear to like it. However, as
he was not the emperor l had no hesita-
tiOn in pumping him little.
GREAT MEN OF FRANCE.
"That long haired, thin faced man who
has just kissed the emperor's hand" be-
gan my new made friend, sis Ravaisson,
the philosopher, and one of the curatOrs
of the Louvre museum. That tall, spare
individual, with n black wig, sallOw COM
pleXion and Indian features-that is
Hcrve, editor of The Soleil and member Of
the French academy. He is one of the
Count of Paris chief advisers and fugle-
men. You see by the easy way in which
he kisses the emperor's hand and salutes
the empress that he is accustomed to be-
ing in the presence Of royalty. Contrast
Herve's graceful movements with the
awkward air of Prime Minister ROuvier,
who is just coming up to Dom Pedro.
There is De Lesseps saying bright things
to the empress How heartily she is
laughing. But the old count is aging
rapidly. His mind is as young as ever,
but don't you see how shaky his legs are
getting, especially the right One!'
And so my neighbOr talked on, while
was so interested in thus seeing pass be-
fore me the greatest men Of France that
that l did not notice that was at last
right next to the emperor. l now began
to feel nervous about what should say
to him But as necessity is the mother
of invention here in France, as elsewhere,
was suddenly struck by bright idea.
When my turn came l stepped forward,
/ and, mastering up my whole stock Of
! cOOlnesS / remarked very quietly in Eng
: lish Call the others had spoken in FRENCH;
= Il suppose your eXeeuency has quite for
/ gotten me, but had the honor of meet
a ing you when you were in the United
a States"
I Scarcely had this little Introductory
+, speech escaped my lips, when I remem-
? bered that at the time Of Dom PedrO's
a visit to America must have been about
4 13 years old! However, had got the
n conversation started, and that was some
. thing.
''What name?" inquired my imperia
. interlocutor in very bad English.
/, ''MOffett, sire ! answered carelessly
= quite ashamed Of having at first addressed
: his majesty as simply your eXcellency.
"a But Dom Pedro didn't seem to mind thi
faux pas. In fact it appeared to me tha
:. he rather liked this evidence of 'demO
N cratic simplicity"
n TWO MINUTES CHAT.
4 eyes l have forgotten yOu," he con
20 tinued, in a very kindly tone, holding m
n hand all the time in his own, which pu
N me quite at my ease, and immediatel
IL awakened in me much admiration for tn
lp fatherly and unpretentiOus ''ruler Q
le men," ''yes, your name has escaped m
of mind. But tell me what are you dOin
I'll In Paris?'
r Writing for English and America
ch newspapers" answered, frankly.
ly "Ah," " he said, with little surprise, q
he II he scented an interview; II read you
re American newspapers with assiduity, bU
it. unfortunately cannot speak English wit
al any fluency, as you perceive. Ne parle
no vOus pas francais|'
ly "Oui," l quickly replied, quite forge
ey ting to add any title Of address, so d
he lighted was / at the thought of real
as that his imperial majesty was quite vii
ing to talk.
'm Tell your cOuntrymen for me, Il
lys emperor continued in French, "that ca
ire never forget the visit which made to Il
err United States at the time of your graz
by Centennial exhibition. The many court
lm sizes then showed to me are still fresh
me my memory Everywhere 1 went too
'rk careful notes of all that I saw and hear
'Od and as l travelled considerably and m
my most Of your leading statesmen, author
nat scholars and scientists, you will readi
in perceive that this record must be valuabl
ted / cannot tell you how precious this jou
OF nal is to me. Sometimes, even at Il
M late day, con it with pleasure and prof
the For instance, on my recent voyage fro
lal, Rio JaneirO to Europe / took it out al
ing thus whiled away many an hour tn
leh would otherwise have been long and pr
nst itleSs ON shipbOard."
his 'And when may we expect the pleasu
the of another visit, sire'" l put in TO Ike
llr, the conversation a-gOing.
ys, Il am not sure YET whether l shall
the to the United States this trip or not, "
the answer. 81 should like to, hOwev
sci, for 1 entertain the warmest and pleasal
ten est recollectiOns Of the great republic. ,
on Cleveland L. Moffett in Philadelpl
reu Times.